Scientists studying Greenland sharks have uncovered remarkable evidence that these mysterious ocean predators can live for hundreds of years.
In a groundbreaking 2016 study published in Science, researchers examined 28 female Greenland sharks using radiocarbon dating of proteins found in their eye lenses.
The largest shark, measuring approximately 5 meters (16.5 feet), was estimated to be 392 years old, suggesting it may have been born around 1620. However, scientists emphasized that the estimate carries a significant margin of uncertainty.
Greenland sharks inhabit the cold, deep waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. They grow exceptionally slowly and may not reach sexual maturity until approximately 150 years of age.
Despite their slow movements, these enormous predators feed on fish, squid, and marine mammals, including seals.
The research suggests Greenland sharks are the longest-lived vertebrates known to science. Although the individual examined is no longer alive, other sharks born centuries ago could still be swimming through the Arctic today.